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<blockquote data-quote="Pell-Mell" data-source="post: 3644068" data-attributes="member: 50273"><p><strong>CASE FILE 001: THE CASE OF THE MISSING HOLYMAN</strong></p><p><em>Session 6, Part 2: Feed The Tree</em></p><p></p><p>"I think he is going to be okay." </p><p></p><p>Mere glanced back down at an open panel in the back of Case Nine, a tiny glowing screen filed with arcane glyphs and graphs, reporting the intricate workings of the robot. "I am no expert on Lud-Men, but my sister has done some work in archaeoautomatronics.[SUP]1[/SUP] I think his power cell has been depleted, but it looks like it is cycling back up." Dirk looked over, "How long till we know one way or the other?" The New Lud girl shrugged, "No idea." Dirk rubbed his stubbled chin and took a deep drag on his cigarette. "All right. Well, we can't leave him and he is too heavy to pull up that shaft that got us down here. I guess we just have to wait and see if he fixes himself." In response, the panel closed, dull clicks heard as unseen locks slid into place. Dirk smirked and raised his eyebrows, "Well, it looks like someone is still home."</p><p></p><p>As they waited to see signs of progress with Case Nine, the others made good use of the downtime. Mere set up a makeshift work area in the hall of the goblins, scavenging enough equipment to allow her to create some potions. With Meepo in tow, Mere and the kobold gathered herbs and other raw ingredients in the adjoining subterranean gardens. Dirk took this time to venture down some of the side passages previously noted, but in the group's haste had not been explored. Creeping silently down dark halls and caverns, he found several empty rooms. In one of these chambers, he noted several holes in the wall, including one that shimmered with a fiery light. Remembering his previous run-in with a fire worm, he beat a hasty retreat.</p><p></p><p>They spent what seemed to be several days in the underground, Case Nine gradually increasing in strength and vitality. Soon he reported that he was at optimal operations and the group moved out, anxious to be done with the ruins. They made their way back to the room where there the shadow had lurked and moved down a passage they had seen earlier. Delving further into the complex, the group found more twisting halls and a room that appeared to have been a library of sorts. Stopping only to pilfer a few choice scrolls and books from among the damp-swollen mess, they continued on.</p><p></p><p>At the end of a long hall, two doors were found. The group picked the first one and Dirk examined it, detecting no traps but finding it was securely locked. Fishing his picks from the inner pocket of his jacket, he went to one knee and set to work. The rogue made quick work of the lock and soon the door was open, revealing what appeared to be a workroom. A chair, several rough wooden tables covered with stained papers and books, and a mostly empty bookcase were the only furnishing in the sparse room. Another door in the wall to right could also be seen. Dirk and Meepo set to tossing the place, finding several mystical scrolls and a book bearing an enchantment, as well as other mundane books and records. Dirk opened the enchanted tome and it suddenly burst into flame, a magical trap triggering. The rogue quickly dropped the burning book and threw his arms in front of his face, his leather jacket scorched but leaving him unharmed.</p><p></p><p>Finding little else of value, Dirk went to the other door in the room, checking for locks or subterfuge. Finding only a lock, the son of Asheril quickly picked it and pushed the door open. Looking out into the next chamber, his eyes went wide and he muttered "Huh".</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">* * *</p><p></p><p>The cavern beyond the door was truly vast, the expanse bathed in violet fungal light. The floor of the cavern had been transformed into a grove of spindly briars, saplings, and other sickly looking plants. In the distance, barely visible in the half-light, a massive leafless tree loomed. Its branches seemed to sway slightly, although there was no breeze evident in the underground. At the edge of the grove near the group, four goblins were working, but they stopped as they saw the human at the door. The goblins gave a shout and swarmed toward the doorway.</p><p></p><p>Case Nine, hearing the goblins, pushed Dirk aside and met them head-on. Charging out of the room, he slaughtered the goblins with ease, sending broken bodies flying in all directions. The others filtered into the cavern as a second wave of defenders approached. Pulling themselves from the ground or shuffling in from deeper in the grove, more of the twig monsters came forth with stick claws held out and grasping. The group fought with hammer, blade, and spear; no guns for fear of alerting others in the massive cavern. Hacking and smashing, they made short work of the little monsters and suffered few wounds in the course of the battle.</p><p></p><p>When no more creatures appeared, Dirk took a pair of binoculars from the pack of Case Nine and glassed the cavern ahead. "Looks like we got about a hundred or so feet of these half-dead trees, then that big one at the end." Dirk paused, "Weird. I think there is a huge frog in the big dead tree. Anyway, I can't see the base of the big tree. There is some kind of wall around it." Dirk replaced the binoculars in the robot's pack. "Let's stick close to the walls and see if we can't sneak up and see what we got." They moved forward, weapons at the ready, but found that approaching quietly was not going to be an option. The grove grew so dense that only the smallest creatures, such as Meepo, could navigate it successfully. Using Mere's long sword, Case Nine began to hack his way through the undergrowth. Far ahead, the frog in the tree gave a warbling cry as it spotted the approaching interlopers.</p><p></p><p>They came to the low ruined wall that surrounded the dead tree, passing through a massive rent in the ancient structure. Across a meadow of patchy, stunted grass stood the great black tree, soaring high into the cavern. No breeze stirred the quiet air, the branches high above twitching slightly on their own. Beneath the quivering braches of the tree stood three souls. The one in the back was clearly a Seeker, as he was dressed in their traditional garb: black clothing and a wide brimmed hat. He was a slender man, his skin pale and his hair as dark as his clothing. In front of him were two humans, one clad in baroque armor and holding a long sword that sparked with eldritch energies and the other was a thin woman dressed in a faded denim dress. Mere shouted, "Its Braford and Sharwyn!"</p><p></p><p>The Seeker spoke, "Welcome friends! I see you are already acquainted with my two supplicants! I am Belak of the Twilight Grove and I welcome you to my home." He nodded at each, but ignored Case Nine, "Your machine man is not welcome here, as is the way of my people." The lost paladin and woman stood silently, neither giving greeting or acknowledging their presence in anyway. Dirk took a step forward, "Names Dirk Chance. We have been hired by his cult" He gestured at Isaiah Braford, "to find him and bring him home to Asheril. I don't know what this place is about, but I want no more trouble. How about you just hand him over." </p><p></p><p>The Seeker shook his head, "I am afraid that will not be possible. Sir Braford has found a new faith." Belak gestured toward the black tree that stood behind him, "Behold the glorious Gulthias Tree, which sprung from a still green wooden stake used to destroy a vampire named Gulthias in the olden days.[SUP]2[/SUP] The stake took root here, becoming something completely new in the process." His eyes glittered, "Is it not amazing how nature finds a way to grow even in such strange conditions?" Belak did not wait for an answer, "Now it bares miraculous fruits; some that cure and others more poisonous than anything I know. Its seedlings walk about own their own, spreading its glory across the face of the world." He paused, "But such miracles require a sacrifice. Both Braford and Sharwyn have given themselves over to the Gulthias Tree, allowing it to draw strength from them and give them a new existance." And now that they looked closer, they could see the eyes of the paladin and woman had no spark of life and their skin had a peculiar gray cast to it. "Join the tree and it will provide you with rewards beyond measure."</p><p></p><p>Moving with blinding speed, Dirk leveled his pistol at the Seeker, "Yeah, I don't think we will be doing that. Case grab ..." Belak roared as the robot approached, "Vile abomination!" He made a gesture with his hand and suddenly the grass beneath the feet of the group sprung up, growing and becoming thick vines that bound them. "If you will not be reasonable, I will have to show you the way by more forceful means. Isaiah, strike down the machine man!" Case Nine pulled the grasping vines from the ground and struggled forward and met the charging paladin head-on.</p><p></p><p>The paladin came in, his eldritch blade spitting sparks and struck at the Lud-Man. Distracted by the enspelled vines, Case Nine was unable to deflect the blow and the sword struck true, discharging a massive bolt of electricity into the robot. Overwhelmed by the unexpected shock, Case Nine staggered back, multiple systems failing and wisps of smoke evident as polymers burned. The Seeker laughed, "I will finish this affront to nature!" He pointed at the beleaguered warforged and immediately the sensors of Case Nine reported anomalous temperature readings. The others need no such sensors to see what was happening: the metal armor of Case Nine had begun to smolder and turn red, waves of heat emanating from the robot.</p><p></p><p>Meepo struggled with the entangling vines, but seeing Case Nine in dire need of assistance, channeled the power of Ashardalon. Drawing on his experience with the ice dragon Calcryx, he opens his fanged maw and a beam of cold lanced out, striking the Lud-Man. Immediately, the hot metal began to cool and steam. Case Nine used this time to stagger back and draw forth the potion they had found on Baslag the Great Hunter. Pouring it on him, the magic took hold and he was warded against damage from fire. His sensors returned erroneous temperature readings and his armor began to glow an intense red, but he suffered no further damage from the spell.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Dirk dove out of the grasping plants and rolled onto clean ground, taking a shot at the Seeker. The shot went wide, but it drew the attention of Belak. The Seeker held out his hand and spoke a word of magic. A ball of fire suddenly sprung up in front of Dirk, but the son of Asheril was quick and rolled out of the way of the small fireball. Belak cursed and called out to the woman in the denim dress to strike and she responded by throwing a bolt of magic at Mere, who was still struggling in the mass of vines.</p><p></p><p>Case Nine hammered at the paladin, striking while deflecting the sparking blade of the warrior with the heft of his greathammer. Mere and Meepo managed to struggle free of the vines and Mere moved in behind the warforged, calling on the All-Knowing Boccob and repairing the damaged Lud-Man. Meepo blasted Belak with crimson beams and Dirk dove about the field, ducking the ball of fire which rolled about after him, taking shots when he could.</p><p></p><p>The paladin was the first to fall, crushed by Case Nine. The woman mage was next, gunned down by Dirk. The Seeker, seeing his warriors defeated, summoned monsters from the outside world, first a mighty hippogriff than a dire rat. The giant frog the group had seen earlier, and who had spent the battle so far lurking in the Gulthias Tree, sprung down in defense of its master. The summoned beasts were hastily defeated by the group and it was Meepo, with several savage thrusts of his spear, who killed the giant toad. </p><p></p><p>His minions defeated and his spells spent, Belak drew a dagger from his belt and made his stand at the foot of the Gulthias Tree. Case Nine charged the Seeker, shattering bone with a massive bow of his great hammer as Dirk dove to the side of the Seeker and drove his short sword deep into the man's chest. The dying Seeker fell back on his beloved Gulthias Tree and sunk to the ground, leaving a trail of bright blood on the trunk. The blood disappeared quickly as the vile tree hungrily absorbed it.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">* * *</p><p></p><p>It was Mere who asked for the Gulthias Tree to be hacked down, wanting nothing to do with the evil thing. Case Nine did the work, the tree oozing thick, black ichors as he cut it down. After looting the bodies of Belak and Sharwyn, they put the corpses atop the ruined Gulthias Tree and set the whole thing ablaze. They watched silently as the vile tree burned fitfully and when all was ash, they left the grand chamber and headed back to the goblin halls. </p><p></p><p>They spent several days in the underground, recuperating from the fierce battle. The group thoroughly looted the place, searching every nook and cranny, determined to leave nothing of value for Yusdrayl and the kobold tribe above. Meepo, with the help of Mere, spent this time turning the hide of the great frog he defeated into a hooded cloak. </p><p></p><p>Once recovered and ready to leave the ruins, they took the corpse of Isaiah Braford and headed for the upper level of the citadel. As Dirk was about to climb up, he saw the discarded horned helm of Baslag the Great Hunter and on a whim picked it up. He looped it to the pack of Case Nine and the group ascended, several kobolds waiting for them at the top. A runner was sent for Yusdrayl and Dirk told her of what had transpired below. The Kobold Queen nodded and then dismissed them, glaring with hatred at Meepo. After picking up some of the tools that Case Nine used to repair himself from the kobold territories, the group left the ruins. Once on the surface, they were relieved to see the Orion was still where Dirk had parked it and the group hastily packed up.</p><p></p><p>Their long-sought quarry stuffed in the trunk of the Orion '23, the group set off for Asheril, Dirk flooring it as soon as they hit the highway.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p></p><p>[SUP]1[/SUP] A new Knowledge skill has been created for the campaign. Knowledge (Technologica) covers current, obsolete, and ancient technology and some constructs (such as robots). Mere has several ranks in it.</p><p>[SUP]2[/SUP] Vampirism is not native to the campaign world, but rather bought from another dimension ages ago by a godling known as Kanchelsis. Almost all vampires on the Continent can trace their curse to Kanchelsis, who has long since left this world for new ones. Views of vampirism vary widely with location. In the Protectorate and New Lud, Kanchelsis' curse is treated as an incurable disease and sufferers viewed as parasites only fit to be destroyed. In the city of Asheril, vampires, as well as number of other post-mortal creatures such as liches, are explicitly exempt from the No-TraSH Act of '17 and treated as other sentient beings.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pell-Mell, post: 3644068, member: 50273"] [B]CASE FILE 001: THE CASE OF THE MISSING HOLYMAN[/B] [I]Session 6, Part 2: Feed The Tree[/I] "I think he is going to be okay." Mere glanced back down at an open panel in the back of Case Nine, a tiny glowing screen filed with arcane glyphs and graphs, reporting the intricate workings of the robot. "I am no expert on Lud-Men, but my sister has done some work in archaeoautomatronics.[SUP]1[/SUP] I think his power cell has been depleted, but it looks like it is cycling back up." Dirk looked over, "How long till we know one way or the other?" The New Lud girl shrugged, "No idea." Dirk rubbed his stubbled chin and took a deep drag on his cigarette. "All right. Well, we can't leave him and he is too heavy to pull up that shaft that got us down here. I guess we just have to wait and see if he fixes himself." In response, the panel closed, dull clicks heard as unseen locks slid into place. Dirk smirked and raised his eyebrows, "Well, it looks like someone is still home." As they waited to see signs of progress with Case Nine, the others made good use of the downtime. Mere set up a makeshift work area in the hall of the goblins, scavenging enough equipment to allow her to create some potions. With Meepo in tow, Mere and the kobold gathered herbs and other raw ingredients in the adjoining subterranean gardens. Dirk took this time to venture down some of the side passages previously noted, but in the group's haste had not been explored. Creeping silently down dark halls and caverns, he found several empty rooms. In one of these chambers, he noted several holes in the wall, including one that shimmered with a fiery light. Remembering his previous run-in with a fire worm, he beat a hasty retreat. They spent what seemed to be several days in the underground, Case Nine gradually increasing in strength and vitality. Soon he reported that he was at optimal operations and the group moved out, anxious to be done with the ruins. They made their way back to the room where there the shadow had lurked and moved down a passage they had seen earlier. Delving further into the complex, the group found more twisting halls and a room that appeared to have been a library of sorts. Stopping only to pilfer a few choice scrolls and books from among the damp-swollen mess, they continued on. At the end of a long hall, two doors were found. The group picked the first one and Dirk examined it, detecting no traps but finding it was securely locked. Fishing his picks from the inner pocket of his jacket, he went to one knee and set to work. The rogue made quick work of the lock and soon the door was open, revealing what appeared to be a workroom. A chair, several rough wooden tables covered with stained papers and books, and a mostly empty bookcase were the only furnishing in the sparse room. Another door in the wall to right could also be seen. Dirk and Meepo set to tossing the place, finding several mystical scrolls and a book bearing an enchantment, as well as other mundane books and records. Dirk opened the enchanted tome and it suddenly burst into flame, a magical trap triggering. The rogue quickly dropped the burning book and threw his arms in front of his face, his leather jacket scorched but leaving him unharmed. Finding little else of value, Dirk went to the other door in the room, checking for locks or subterfuge. Finding only a lock, the son of Asheril quickly picked it and pushed the door open. Looking out into the next chamber, his eyes went wide and he muttered "Huh". [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] The cavern beyond the door was truly vast, the expanse bathed in violet fungal light. The floor of the cavern had been transformed into a grove of spindly briars, saplings, and other sickly looking plants. In the distance, barely visible in the half-light, a massive leafless tree loomed. Its branches seemed to sway slightly, although there was no breeze evident in the underground. At the edge of the grove near the group, four goblins were working, but they stopped as they saw the human at the door. The goblins gave a shout and swarmed toward the doorway. Case Nine, hearing the goblins, pushed Dirk aside and met them head-on. Charging out of the room, he slaughtered the goblins with ease, sending broken bodies flying in all directions. The others filtered into the cavern as a second wave of defenders approached. Pulling themselves from the ground or shuffling in from deeper in the grove, more of the twig monsters came forth with stick claws held out and grasping. The group fought with hammer, blade, and spear; no guns for fear of alerting others in the massive cavern. Hacking and smashing, they made short work of the little monsters and suffered few wounds in the course of the battle. When no more creatures appeared, Dirk took a pair of binoculars from the pack of Case Nine and glassed the cavern ahead. "Looks like we got about a hundred or so feet of these half-dead trees, then that big one at the end." Dirk paused, "Weird. I think there is a huge frog in the big dead tree. Anyway, I can't see the base of the big tree. There is some kind of wall around it." Dirk replaced the binoculars in the robot's pack. "Let's stick close to the walls and see if we can't sneak up and see what we got." They moved forward, weapons at the ready, but found that approaching quietly was not going to be an option. The grove grew so dense that only the smallest creatures, such as Meepo, could navigate it successfully. Using Mere's long sword, Case Nine began to hack his way through the undergrowth. Far ahead, the frog in the tree gave a warbling cry as it spotted the approaching interlopers. They came to the low ruined wall that surrounded the dead tree, passing through a massive rent in the ancient structure. Across a meadow of patchy, stunted grass stood the great black tree, soaring high into the cavern. No breeze stirred the quiet air, the branches high above twitching slightly on their own. Beneath the quivering braches of the tree stood three souls. The one in the back was clearly a Seeker, as he was dressed in their traditional garb: black clothing and a wide brimmed hat. He was a slender man, his skin pale and his hair as dark as his clothing. In front of him were two humans, one clad in baroque armor and holding a long sword that sparked with eldritch energies and the other was a thin woman dressed in a faded denim dress. Mere shouted, "Its Braford and Sharwyn!" The Seeker spoke, "Welcome friends! I see you are already acquainted with my two supplicants! I am Belak of the Twilight Grove and I welcome you to my home." He nodded at each, but ignored Case Nine, "Your machine man is not welcome here, as is the way of my people." The lost paladin and woman stood silently, neither giving greeting or acknowledging their presence in anyway. Dirk took a step forward, "Names Dirk Chance. We have been hired by his cult" He gestured at Isaiah Braford, "to find him and bring him home to Asheril. I don't know what this place is about, but I want no more trouble. How about you just hand him over." The Seeker shook his head, "I am afraid that will not be possible. Sir Braford has found a new faith." Belak gestured toward the black tree that stood behind him, "Behold the glorious Gulthias Tree, which sprung from a still green wooden stake used to destroy a vampire named Gulthias in the olden days.[SUP]2[/SUP] The stake took root here, becoming something completely new in the process." His eyes glittered, "Is it not amazing how nature finds a way to grow even in such strange conditions?" Belak did not wait for an answer, "Now it bares miraculous fruits; some that cure and others more poisonous than anything I know. Its seedlings walk about own their own, spreading its glory across the face of the world." He paused, "But such miracles require a sacrifice. Both Braford and Sharwyn have given themselves over to the Gulthias Tree, allowing it to draw strength from them and give them a new existance." And now that they looked closer, they could see the eyes of the paladin and woman had no spark of life and their skin had a peculiar gray cast to it. "Join the tree and it will provide you with rewards beyond measure." Moving with blinding speed, Dirk leveled his pistol at the Seeker, "Yeah, I don't think we will be doing that. Case grab ..." Belak roared as the robot approached, "Vile abomination!" He made a gesture with his hand and suddenly the grass beneath the feet of the group sprung up, growing and becoming thick vines that bound them. "If you will not be reasonable, I will have to show you the way by more forceful means. Isaiah, strike down the machine man!" Case Nine pulled the grasping vines from the ground and struggled forward and met the charging paladin head-on. The paladin came in, his eldritch blade spitting sparks and struck at the Lud-Man. Distracted by the enspelled vines, Case Nine was unable to deflect the blow and the sword struck true, discharging a massive bolt of electricity into the robot. Overwhelmed by the unexpected shock, Case Nine staggered back, multiple systems failing and wisps of smoke evident as polymers burned. The Seeker laughed, "I will finish this affront to nature!" He pointed at the beleaguered warforged and immediately the sensors of Case Nine reported anomalous temperature readings. The others need no such sensors to see what was happening: the metal armor of Case Nine had begun to smolder and turn red, waves of heat emanating from the robot. Meepo struggled with the entangling vines, but seeing Case Nine in dire need of assistance, channeled the power of Ashardalon. Drawing on his experience with the ice dragon Calcryx, he opens his fanged maw and a beam of cold lanced out, striking the Lud-Man. Immediately, the hot metal began to cool and steam. Case Nine used this time to stagger back and draw forth the potion they had found on Baslag the Great Hunter. Pouring it on him, the magic took hold and he was warded against damage from fire. His sensors returned erroneous temperature readings and his armor began to glow an intense red, but he suffered no further damage from the spell. Meanwhile, Dirk dove out of the grasping plants and rolled onto clean ground, taking a shot at the Seeker. The shot went wide, but it drew the attention of Belak. The Seeker held out his hand and spoke a word of magic. A ball of fire suddenly sprung up in front of Dirk, but the son of Asheril was quick and rolled out of the way of the small fireball. Belak cursed and called out to the woman in the denim dress to strike and she responded by throwing a bolt of magic at Mere, who was still struggling in the mass of vines. Case Nine hammered at the paladin, striking while deflecting the sparking blade of the warrior with the heft of his greathammer. Mere and Meepo managed to struggle free of the vines and Mere moved in behind the warforged, calling on the All-Knowing Boccob and repairing the damaged Lud-Man. Meepo blasted Belak with crimson beams and Dirk dove about the field, ducking the ball of fire which rolled about after him, taking shots when he could. The paladin was the first to fall, crushed by Case Nine. The woman mage was next, gunned down by Dirk. The Seeker, seeing his warriors defeated, summoned monsters from the outside world, first a mighty hippogriff than a dire rat. The giant frog the group had seen earlier, and who had spent the battle so far lurking in the Gulthias Tree, sprung down in defense of its master. The summoned beasts were hastily defeated by the group and it was Meepo, with several savage thrusts of his spear, who killed the giant toad. His minions defeated and his spells spent, Belak drew a dagger from his belt and made his stand at the foot of the Gulthias Tree. Case Nine charged the Seeker, shattering bone with a massive bow of his great hammer as Dirk dove to the side of the Seeker and drove his short sword deep into the man's chest. The dying Seeker fell back on his beloved Gulthias Tree and sunk to the ground, leaving a trail of bright blood on the trunk. The blood disappeared quickly as the vile tree hungrily absorbed it. [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] It was Mere who asked for the Gulthias Tree to be hacked down, wanting nothing to do with the evil thing. Case Nine did the work, the tree oozing thick, black ichors as he cut it down. After looting the bodies of Belak and Sharwyn, they put the corpses atop the ruined Gulthias Tree and set the whole thing ablaze. They watched silently as the vile tree burned fitfully and when all was ash, they left the grand chamber and headed back to the goblin halls. They spent several days in the underground, recuperating from the fierce battle. The group thoroughly looted the place, searching every nook and cranny, determined to leave nothing of value for Yusdrayl and the kobold tribe above. Meepo, with the help of Mere, spent this time turning the hide of the great frog he defeated into a hooded cloak. Once recovered and ready to leave the ruins, they took the corpse of Isaiah Braford and headed for the upper level of the citadel. As Dirk was about to climb up, he saw the discarded horned helm of Baslag the Great Hunter and on a whim picked it up. He looped it to the pack of Case Nine and the group ascended, several kobolds waiting for them at the top. A runner was sent for Yusdrayl and Dirk told her of what had transpired below. The Kobold Queen nodded and then dismissed them, glaring with hatred at Meepo. After picking up some of the tools that Case Nine used to repair himself from the kobold territories, the group left the ruins. Once on the surface, they were relieved to see the Orion was still where Dirk had parked it and the group hastily packed up. Their long-sought quarry stuffed in the trunk of the Orion '23, the group set off for Asheril, Dirk flooring it as soon as they hit the highway. [B]Notes:[/B] [SUP]1[/SUP] A new Knowledge skill has been created for the campaign. Knowledge (Technologica) covers current, obsolete, and ancient technology and some constructs (such as robots). Mere has several ranks in it. [SUP]2[/SUP] Vampirism is not native to the campaign world, but rather bought from another dimension ages ago by a godling known as Kanchelsis. Almost all vampires on the Continent can trace their curse to Kanchelsis, who has long since left this world for new ones. Views of vampirism vary widely with location. In the Protectorate and New Lud, Kanchelsis' curse is treated as an incurable disease and sufferers viewed as parasites only fit to be destroyed. In the city of Asheril, vampires, as well as number of other post-mortal creatures such as liches, are explicitly exempt from the No-TraSH Act of '17 and treated as other sentient beings. [/QUOTE]
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